1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to generation of graphical reports and, more particularly, to generating advanced graphic displays from JAVA in one or several documents.
2. Background Description
Report generation from software applications running on computer-based systems is often a required function in order for users to view and interact with information concerning a particular application running on a system. Software applications of various type often control, monitor, or transform events within or in context of a particular machine or system and viewing the operation and work of the system is typically necessary.
The hardware and software operational environment of a software application is typically dependent upon the mission and purpose of the application but one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that many different variations may exist to effect an overall application. Computer platforms may include embedded operating systems or distributed architectures. The processor and memories involved can be general purpose (such as personal computers) or specific to an application (such as digital signal processors or other embedded processors). These systems, in general, can control hardware inputs, respond to software events, analyze data, or initiate further process control. Typically, a software application must eventually communicate, display, or create reports for users. These reports may reflect, for example, status, processing history, results, message information, and the like associated with the nature of a particular application and its hardware environment.
The ability to generate reports is related to the inherent or supporting software functions within the chosen operating system and software language selected for use for a particular application. In a Java environment, there are several ways to generate a report. One simple option is just the generation of a text report. Another option is the generation of a graphic report in several documents. In addition, there is a way of generating a graphic report in one document from Java, but the report generated is very simple; advanced graphics controls and options are very limited and cumbersome.
As content data and organizational structure within a report grows, the ability to create a complicated report from Java diminishes and becomes more burdensome, if not impossible to generate. Complex formatting is not available for text and graphic reports. Composing a report document with graphic displays and text information with relational structure inherent in the document is also not available. If components (sections) of the report document could be treated as objects with associated formatting controls, the relationship among objects can be maintained and re-produced as needed with the same or different application data; but this currently does not exist.
When users generate a report with several documents, there is a risk that one or more of the documents can be lost or misplaced. As the number of individual reports increase, this risk also tends to increase. Even management of multiple documents can be more difficult since the relationship of related documents must be maintained in some fashion. User ability to view information in several reports can often be limiting since it is often more difficult to correlate information. Viewing information in one document is often more preferable than viewing information held in multiple documents since relationships present within the data can be more easily conveyed in a graphical manner, for example. Additionally, report generation applications are also routinely expected to be compatible among different operating systems.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of these problems set forth above.